About the ABC

The Anarchist Black Cross was originated in Tsarist Russia to organise aid for
political prisoners. In the late 1960s the organisation resurfaced in Britain, where it first worked to
aid prisoners of the Spanish resistance fighting the dictator Franco's police. Now it has expanded and groups are found in many countries around the world. We support anarchist and other class struggle prisoners, fund-raise on behalf of prisoners in need of funds for legal cases or otherwise, and organise demonstrations of solidarity with imprisoned anarchists and other prisoners.

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@BrightonABC

Brighton ABC

The Bottled Wasp

Disclaimer

The listing of any prisoner or any activities on this site is for information purposes only, and should not be construed by any state organisation as representing our active support for their actions or those activities.

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You may have noticed recently that some of our usually reliable prisoners listings have been a little out of date. This is due to a current shortage in our group numbers and increasing commitments to other projects. You can help by sending any updates/contributions to the listings that you come across. Thanks in advance. In solidarity. Brighton ABC.

UK and IRELAND

Samantha Faulder, A1209CF, HMP Foston Hall, Foston, Derby, Derbyshire, DE65 5DN. [Updated: 22/08/18]
Sam Faulder is an anarchist prisoner currently serving a life sentence in England. Sam is a miscarriage of justice who has done over ten years in the prison system.

She has been an anti-authoritarian her whole life and was relentlessly targeted by police because of her lifestyle choices. After serving nearly two years on remand, Sam’s trial was a disaster. Police corruption impacted her trial and her solicitor firm withdrew from her case three weeks before it began. Her need to appeal coincided with cuts to legal-aid and she has been trapped in the prison system ever since. She is now working with Cardiff University’s Innocence Project on her appeal. Learn more about her case and appeal here: http://freedomforsam.org/about/

About Sam’s health: After ten years experiencing every abuse imaginable, Sam was sadly diagnosed with cancer in 2016. She has still not had treatment. She has experienced intense medical neglect while being imprisoned in a for-profit prison, HMP Peterborough, run by Sodexo. Read the full story of her cancer situation here: http://freedomforsam.org/sams-cancer-timeline/

Support Sam needs:

Please send letters and cards with solidarity messages
Please donate to her support fund: http://freedomforsam.org/donate/
Organise actions and dedicate them to Sam, this will mean the world to her!
Pay attention to the website for action alerts about her treatment
Share her story online

John Bowden, A5026DM, HMP Warrenhill, Grove Road, Hollesley, Nr Woodbridge, Suffolk, IP12 3BF. [Updated: 21/08/17]
John Bowden, convicted in 1982 for a brutal murder, has spent his entire adult life in prison. Politicised by his incarceration he's regularly paid the price for his resistance through long periods of isolation, beatings and treatment amounting to torture. He has never been broken and is one of the UK's most articulate and vociferous prison writers and a powerful advocate of prisoner's rights.UPDATE: Following his parole knock back, John Bowden has been recategorised, and moved to Warrenhill, a Cat C men's prison. [21/01/17]

Kevan Thakrar, A4907AE, HMP Whitemoor, Long Hill Road, March, PE15 0PR, UK. [correct as of: 05/07/18]
Kevan Thakrar was wrongly convicted of murder and attempted murder in 2008 using multiple hearsay evidence under 'joint enterprise', the legal rule which means that any member of a group can be convicted of a crime, regardless of whether they played any role in it. Kevan wasn't present when the murder took place, but he was sentenced to life with a minimum of 35 years in jail. He was aged just 20.
Kevan has been consistently subjected to vengeful abuse and violence from prison guards for speaking out about his and other prisoners treatment. In March 2010 Kevan was charged with assaulting three prison officers in HMP Frankland, but was subsequently found not guilty of the assault in a landmark legal acquittal, where the finger of blame was instead pointed directly back at the Prison Service, whose regime of racism and violence was clearly exposed throughout the four-week trial.
Despite being found not guilty Kevan has been held ever since in solitary confinement in the notorious Close Supervision Centres, the UK equivalent to the F.I.E.S. regime in Spain, and the Supermax in the US. The ‘Prisons within the Prisons’ exist to facilitate the suppression, mental breakdown and murder of those who rebel within the prison system, those who ask too many questions, complain too many times, lash out in frustration, or are irreducible. Despite all this, Kevan continues to speak out about the injustices suffered there by himself and other prisoners around him.

BELARUS

NB: It is possible to send on-line letters to Belarusian prisoners via the ABC Belarus website.

Brest Anti-Fascists Arrests
Late on the evening of May 8, 2014, in Brest, Belarus a fight between anti-fascists and neo-Nazis took place. The reason for the fight was a nazi provocation. One of the nazi began raising his hand in Roman salute and shouting "Zieg Heil" and "White Power". Except that the anti-fascists were better skilled in fighting, so one of the nazis ended up hospitalised.
Beginning on the evening of May 9, cops started to arrest the anti-fascists that they knew. First the flats of two anti-fascists were searched, their computers and laptops where taken and the guys were detained for 10 day terms. On the morning of May 10, the searches continued. Four more flats were searched and again computers and some personal items where taken by police. One of the anti-fascists was not at home, so he remain free and three others were detained.
One of the detained anti-fascists, Vladimir Dudorga, had been threatened by KGB officers before because of his active anti-fascist position. Dudorga was later released.

Update: [08/10/15] A verdict was delivered today in the case of Brest antifascists accused of participation in a group fight with neo-nazis which happened on May 8, 2013.
Antifascists were tried under the art. 339.3 (malicious group hooliganism) and 147.2 (malicious bodily harm). The case was qualified as malicious due to the fact of pepper spray usage in the fight.
Dzmitry Stsyashenka got 5 years of penal colony with reinforced regime (339.3) and 500 euro of damages to be paid to the injured nazis.
Roman Bogdan got 8 years of penal colony with reinforced regime (339.3, 147.2) and 3500 euro of damages to be paid to the injured nazis.

Another antifascist (full name not disclosed) got 5 years of penal colony with reinforced regime (339.3) and 500 euro of damages to be paid to the injured nazis.
It should be pointed out that in 2014 Dzmitry Zvan’ko was sentenced to 5 years of prison for the same account. Dzmitry Stsyashenka is serving another sentence of 4 years at the moment.

NB: The names are given in both Russian and (Belarusian), as the prison register is conducted in Russian, but we recommend that you address mail using the first (Russian) names. Also, during the initial weeks (or months) of imprisonment prisoners are put in a quarantine unit (not yet registered with a prison unit whilst being examined by the medics and put through registration - may last for several weeks or months), therefore please note KARANTIN on the envelope where appropriate.

Arrested for a fight with neo nazis in December 2014. Vlad Lenko, an Anti-fascist from Ivatsevichy, is charged under Art 339.2 (Hooliganism in a group of people.) and 147.2 (Causing grievous bodily harm.) The court sentenced Vlad to a six year period of imprisonment in a maximum security colony. a large amount of money is needed to appeal the verdict, as it stays hopeful that the sentence can be reduced by half. Money is also needed to aid him in paying off the ordered compensation of €1000 to the victim.

BULGARIA

Jock Palfreeman, Kazichene Prison, Kazichene 1532, Region Pancherevo, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Jock Palfreeman is a 29-year-old Australian who had the courage to stand up against 16 Nazis on a night out in Sofia, Bulgaria. He witnessed the fascists chasing and attacking two young Roma boys. Jock ran to the boys' aid, he did his best to keep the Nazis at bay by waving a knife at them but they attacked him. Jock was left with nowhere to run and had no choice but to defend himself. Andrey Monov, one of the Nazis, was stabbed and killed and another, Antoan Zahariev was injured. The Roma boys ran away.
Jock has since been tried and sentenced for murder and attempted murder. He has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment and has been fined 375,000 Australian dollars.www.facebook.com/Jock-PalfreemanBulgarian Prisoners Association

FRANCE

Claudio Lavazza, ecrou 445097 D5-2G-₵44, MAH de Fleury-Mérogis, 7 Avenue des Peupliers, 91700 Fleury-Mérogis, France. [correct as of: 14/08/18]
Claudio has been taken from Spain to France, at his own request, to stand trial on a series of charges (particularly an attack on a branch of the Bank of France) being pressed by the courts of Paris. Claudio was tried in his abscene originally, receiving the maximum sentence for those charges (as established by French law in case of absence in order to avoid the offence going through the statute of limitations); so in the coming months a proper trial will be held and when it’s over he will be taken back to Spain to serve the accumulated sentences there.

GERMANY

Thomas Meyer Falk, c/o JVA (SV-Abtlg.), Hermann-Herder-Str. 8, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany. [Updated: 20/08/18]
In 1996, Thomas was sent down for eleven and a half years for bank robbery. Because of his strong beliefs, he's been subject to very harsh repression - kept in solitary, daily cell raids, suppression and censorship of mail, no access to education. In 2007, he was finally been moved out of solitary and was able to participate in education and other activities. He has applied for parole on a number of occasions since then but has always been turned down. At the end of June 2013, the District Court of Karlsruhe decided that Thomas was still a "danger" to the community and he is now being held in preventive detention.

GREECE

Our current addresses are based on the exhaustive list (in English) of Greek prisoners on the Tameio website and we try to keep the accompanying texts updated and corrected regularly.

Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire Prisoners

Most of the CCF prisoners are currently involved in a series of new trials dealing with the 250 bombings and arsons between 2008 and 2011 alleged against the organisation (including attacks on the Golden Dawn’s offices, the Athens Administrative Court, and Koridallos prisons), as well as the sending of a series of 14 parcel bombs. All are also under investigation concerning the 'Phoenix' project and the 'Operation Ardire' case.

UPDATE: On July 8, 2016, the Koridallos prison court – presided over by special judge Asimina Yfanti – convicted all members of the anarchist revolutionary organisation Conspiracy of Cells of Fire (CCF) – Gerasimos Tsakalos, Christos Tsakalos, Giorgos Polydoros, Olga Ekonomidou, Theofilos Mavropoulos, Panayiotis Argyrou, Giorgos Nikolopoulos, Michalis Nikolopoulos, Damiano Bolano, and Haris Hatzimihelakis – to 115 years in prison each.
Angeliki Spyropoulou sentenced to 28 years in prison. Athena Tsakalou and Evi Statiri found not guilty. Christos Polydoros given 6 year suspended sentence. Christos Rodopoulos sentenced to 75 years in prison. Christodoulos Xiros sentenced to 65 years in prison. Fabio Dusko sentenced to 8 years in prison. Four other defendants sentenced to 27-28 years in prison each. Four other defendants were acquitted of membership in the organisation but received a 6-year suspended sentence. Two other defendants were found guilty of misdemeanor offences and another two were found not guilty.

Haris Hatzimihelakis FREE!Panayiotis Argyrou [Παναγιώτης Αργυρού]
Dikastiki Fylaki Korydallou – Andrikes Fylakes-A’ Pteryga, T.K. 18110, Korydallos, Athens, Greece. [Updated: 22/08/18]
Both are serving 25 years in prison out of a total sentence of 37 years for their part in the so-called "Halandri Case". They are currently awaiting future Cells of Fire trials. [for more information, see Inter Arma]

Damiano Bolano [Δαμιανός Μπολάνο] Giorgos Nikolopoulos [Γιώργος Νικολόπουλος] Michalis Nikolopoulos [Μιχάλης Νικολόπουλος]
Dikastiki Filaki Korydallou – Andrikes Fylakes-A’ Pteriga, TK 18110, Korydallos, Athens, Greece. [Addresses updated: 22/08/18]
Damiano Bolano is also serving a 68 years sentence for being member of CCF and charges stemming from the 'Halandri case' trial and will be deported after serving the maximum 25 years.
Giorgos and Michaelis Nikolopoulos are also serving 68 years sentences for being member of CCF and charges stemming from the 'Halandri case' trial & 16 months for illegal possession of arms.
[Updated: 01/12/16]

Olga Ekonomidou (Oikonomidou) [Όλγα Οικονομίδου]
Dikastiki Fylaki Korydallou – Gynaikeies Fylakes, TK 18110, Korydallos, Athens, Greece.Giorgos Polydoros [Χρήστος Τσάκαλος]
Dikastiki Filaki Korydallos, Special wing [Eidikí Pteriga], TK 18110, Korydallos, Athens, Greece. [Addresses updated: 22/08/18]
Olga, Giorgos and Christos were arrested on March 14, 2011 and are currently awaiting trial in the 'Volos case' and for other Cells of Fire-related charges.
All currently awaiting trial on Cells of Fire-related charges, having been held in pre-trial detention for more than 3 years.

Theofilos Mavropoulos [Θεόφιλος Μαυρόπουλος]
Dikastiki Filaki Korydallos – Andrikes Fylakes-A’ Pteriga, TK 18110, Korydallos, Athens, Greece. [Updated: 22/08/18]
On May 18, 2011, Mavropoulos was arrested in the Athens neighbourhood of Pefki after being seriously wounded during a shoot-out with two patrol officers. Giannis Michailidis, the comrade who was with him, managed to escape and has taken full responsibility for his role in that incident already. Mavropoulos is being charged with two counts of attempted homicide, among other charges. After spending a month in the hospital, he was transferred to the "general population" wing at Koridallos. At the end of December 2011 he was moved to Malandrino as preliminary punishment for the escape he attempted alongside several Fire Cells Conspiracy members. He has since joined the CCF.

# NB: Prisoners held in the new 'special wings' and C Type prisons in Greece have severe restrictions place upon their communications. Phone calls are all monitored and mail is subjected to censorship and your letters may not reach the intended recipient.

Revolutionary Struggle Prisoners & Others

On April 10, 2010, the Anti-terrorist Department of the Greek Police arrested six people in Athens :
Nikos Maziotis, Panagiota 'Pola' Roupa, Kostas Gournas, Vaggelis Stathopoulos, Sarandos Nikitopoulos, and Christoforos Kortesis. All were known for their long presence in the anarchist/anti-authoritarian movement. Two weeks later, Nikos Maziotis, Pola Roupa, and Kostas Gournas admitted to participating in the organiSation known as Revolutionary Struggle (Epanastatikos Agonas). Stathopoulos, Nikitopoulos, and Kortesis denied the charges and stated that they were being persecuted for their years of anarchist activity and their comradely political relationships with the others. Two others, Marie Beraha and Kostas Katsenos, were also charged and included in the trial.

On April 3, 2013 the judgment on the Revolutionary Struggle case was handed down:Nikos Maziotis was sentenced to 86 years’ imprisonment in absentia; his sentence was merged into 50 years. Pola Roupa and Kostas Gournas were both sentenced to 87 years (Pola sentenced in absentia); each sentence was merged into 50 years and 6 months.
For all three of them, the maximum prison term is 25 years (which are typically served either as a full sentence or by day wages in prisons, or after the completion of 3/5 of the prison term, when a prisoner can be granted conditional release under specific conditions).

Following a second trial with regard to the attack with a car bomb containing 75kg of explosives against the Bank of Greece’s Supervision Directorate in central Athens on April 10th 2014; the shootout in Monastiraki on July 16, 2014 (when comrade Nikos Maziotis was injured and recaptured by police); and expropriations of bank branches, on March 3, 2016, Nikos Maziotis was sentenced to life in prison plus 129 years and a fine of €20,000; Pola Roupa, who is still at liberty, was again sentenced in absentia, this time to 11 years in prison on misdemeanor charges (but she will also stand trial on felony charges if she is arrested); Antonis Stamboulos was sentenced to 13 years in prison and Giorgos Petrakakos was sentenced to 36 years in prison plus a fine of 9,000 euros. [Updated: 06/04/16]

Nikos Romanos, Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos, Giannis Mihailidis and Dimitris Politis were arrested after a car chase on 01/02/2013 following the double robbery of a branch of the National Post office and a branch of the Agriculture Bank in Venvento, Kozani. In addition, Nikos Romanos and Giannis Mihailidis were accused in the case of the two Volos and Kalithea houses; Giannis Mihailidis and Dimitris Politis for the robbery at a branch of Agriculture Bank in Filotas; Florina and Giannis Mihailidis were accused of taking part in a gunfight with cops in Pefki. Fivos Harisis and Argyris Dalios were arrested on 20/04/2013 in Nea Filadelphia, Athens and were also accused of robbery. Argyris and Fivos denied the accusations and their prosecution was based solely on DNA samples collected from the area where the robbery took place. Argyris Dalios was also accused in the case of the two houses in Volos and Kalithea and, along with Foivos Harisis, of the robbery at a branch of Agriculture Bank in Filotas, Florina.
All six were also accused of being members of CCF, something that both they and CCF deny.

On Wednesday, October 1, 2014, the Koridallos prison court in Athens found anarchist prisoners Yannis Michailidis, Nikos Romanos, Andreas-Dimitris Bourzoukos and Dimitris Politis (who have claimed political responsibility for the double armed robbery in Velventos, Kozani) as well as Fivos Harisis and Argyris Ntalios (who have denied all charges) guilty of:
– committing robbery while masked or disguised (except Dimitris Politis, who was convicted as an accessory),
– aggravated possession of firearms (for the guns used in the double expropriation),
– aggravated vehicle theft (for the car of the dentist-hostage used as getaway vehicle).

Finally, as proposed earlier by the prosecutor, the court acquitted all of the accused of alleged involvement in the CCF urban guerrilla group. However, there are other trial court cases underway that include the exact same accusation against the anarchist comrades.

An appeal by the prosecution in the Velvedo case has been set for April 20, 2016 in the women's wing of Koriddalos prisons. The court case is likely to last at least 2 years and take it well beyond the date that the six would normally be released under license. Therefore the six argue that the trial is merely an attempt to keep them in prison without filing any new charges. [source]
[Updated: 06/04/16]
See also: Interarma

# NB: Prisoners held in the new 'special wings' and C Type prisons in Greece have severe restrictions place upon their communications. Phone calls are all monitored and mail is subjected to censorship and your letters may not reach the intended recipient.

ITALY

There's a steady stream of reports of extensive repression from Italy. Ecological anarchists, squatters and ALF activists are more and more active, but are also facing more arrests, raids and random fit-ups. http://en.contrainfo.espiv.net/ is a good source for the latest news from Italy in English and www.autistici.org/cna/indirizzi-dei-prigionieri/ for up-to-date prisoners addresses (in Italian).

Lecce Arrests
On August 3, 2017 at 06:30 the Digos of Lecce and an anti-terrorist special squad (UOPI) wearing balaclavas and armed with machineguns stormed La Caura Squat (Roca-Lecce). The police forced those present to lie face down on the floor, then took a comrade, Paska, away who is now being held in the Lecce prison.
The episode occurred at the same time as that at La Riottosa in Florence, where another 7 comrades were arrested, while one was arrested in Rome. The police operation refers to an explosive attack on Il Bargello neo-nazi bookshop in Florence (January 1, 2017), when an incompetent bomb disposal expert was injured, and to an incendiary bottle against the carabinieri barracks in Rovezzano, Florence (April 21, 2017).

Operation Scripta Manent
On September 6, 2016, Torino’s section of the DIGOS antiterrorist unit unleashed an anti-anarchist operation under the name 'Scripta Manent'. House searches were conducted in various regions of Italy. Anarchists Alfredo Cospito and Nicola Gai, incarcerated since September 2012 for kneecapping Adinolfi (Olga Cell FAI/FRI), received a new arrest notification whilst in prison. Additionally, six arrests were made on the outside (five in the context of this operation; one as outcome of a house search).

Operation Scripta Manent seeks to attribute to the accused a series of actions claimed by FAI (Informal Anarchist Federation) in Italy. Therefore, the comrades Marco, Sandrone, Anna, Danilo and Valentina, alongside Nicola and Alfredo [see separate entry below], are likely to face charges of “subversive association with terrorist intent”.

Divine Umoru, C.C. Ferrara, Via dell’Arginone 327, ΙΤ-44122 Ferrara, Italy. [correct as of: 12/11/17]
On August 2, 2016, the Italian police stormed the house of an anarchist, Divine Umoru, in the city of Bologna and arrested him on the charge of possession of explosive materials used for the manufacture of bombs [common household materials]. The comrade was first sent to the prison of Bologna and then transferred to the high security section AS2 of the prison of Ferrara and placed in isolation and without possible communication with anyone for 18 days.
A number of attempts have been made to secure bail under the conditions of house arrest have failed, with Divine fearing that the state's ultimate aim is to deport him to his country of birth, Nigeria.

Nicola Gai and Alfredo Cospito were arrested on 14th September 2012 and accused of shooting of Roberto Adinolfi, CEO of the nuclear energy company Ansaldo Nucleare, in the knees - an action carried out by Olga/FAI/FRI nucleus on 7th May 2012. During their first trial on October 30, 2013, they admitted their part in the shooting but were prevented from reading out their statements on their behalf. [see Alfredo's here] At their sentencing hearing on November 12 2013, Alfredo was given ten years and 8 months in prison and Nicola 9 years and 4 months for attack with the purpose of terrorism (under article 280 of the Italian penal code), in addition to reato ostativo (impediment of access to prison benefits, house arrest, semi-custodial regime, etc. given that terrorist purposes were recognised by the court).

In early May 2015, the Supreme Court decided to reduce the sentences of comrades Alfredo Cospito and Nicola Gai.The final sentences were:
Alfredo Cospito: 9 years, 5 months and 10 days (from 10 years and 8 months) Nicola Gai: 8 years, 8 months, 20 days (from 9 years and 4 months). [Updated: 13/11/15]

NB: Both Alfredo and Nicola are also caught up in the so-called Operation Scripta Manent and are likely to face further charges in the future.

Genoa 10
The Italian High Court confirmed on Friday 13th July 2012 the sentences for the 10 activists were guilty of devastation and looting crimes against private property and sentenced for crimes of “devastation and looting” during the G8 summit in Genoa in 2001. Five of the defendants have been granted right to appeal against other related charges, and their cases will be re-examined by the judges. The other five had their appeals rejected and were imprisoned. In 2014, two of the sentenced were released on probation and under house arrest.

Marina Cugnaschi, Seconda Casa di Reclusione di Milano – Bollate, Via Cristina Belgioioso 120, IT-20157 Milano, Italy. [Correct as of: 14/11/17]
Serving 12 years and 3 months. Added to Marina's sentence, after time already spent in prison, was "psychic shared-participation" in the riots - if you don't stop someone braking a bank, you are a partner in the crime.

Francesco Puglisi,
Casa Circondariale di Roma Rebibbia – Nuovo Complesso, Via Raffaele Majetti, 70, IT-00156 Roma, Italy. [Correct as of: 22/08/18]
Francesco Puglisi, who likes to be called by his nickname "Gimmy", went on the run after being sentenced to 14 years in prison following a trial for "devastation and looting" during the 2001 Genoa revolt, was arrested in Barcelona on June 5, 2013. He was then extradited to Italy and has been in the transit section of Rebibbia prison in Rome since July 5, in Jimmy's words, "waiting until the dogs of the administration or the Department of Penitentiary Administration decide in which section to put me," and was later moved on to a wing in the same prison.

POLAND

Patryk Cichoń, "Syn Józefa", Zaklad Karny, Chmielow 662, Chmielow 39-442, Poland. [correct as of: 11/03/18]
Patryk is a Polish antifascist recently deported from the UK to Poland to serve a 3 year sentence that was handed to him 13 years ago. He was charged with allegedly beating up and robbing few local fascists. [20/10/17]

RUSSIA

NB: Moscow ABC advise that letters in English are seldom accepted in Russian prisons, so if you do not have a chance to write in Russian (i.e. by using simply phrases and translating them by a translation program), just send photos and postcards.

Evgeni Vitalevich Karakashev, [Karakashev Evgeni Vitalevich], bul. Lenina 4, 295006 Simferopol, Respublika Krym, Russia. [correct as of 21/11/18] Note that in remand prison, only letters in Russian are accepted.Evgeny Karakashev was born on August 21, 1978 and lives in Yevpatoria, Crimea. He is an anarchist and anti-fascist, and is just one of the many radicals caught up in the current wave of repression in Russia. On February 1, 2018, Karakashev was detained, and arrested the following day on suspicion of committing crimes under Part 1 of Art. 282 (the incitement of hatred and enmity) and Part 2 of Art. 205.2 (public calls for terrorism) of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation. On February 2, 2018, the Evpatoria City Court ordered Evgeny to be detained for 2 months on suspicion of committing «incitement of hatred and enmity» and «public calls for terrorism» for alledged postings on the Russian social network VKontakte.

How you can help: You can transfer money with the Paypal system: our address is abc-msk@riseup.net [please mention "for Evgeny Karakashev"]

Oleksandr Oleksandrovich Kolchenko, [Kolchenko Oleksandr Oleksandrovich], 1989 g.r., 456612, Chelyabinskaya obl, Kopeisk, ul.Kemerovskaya, 20, IK-6, otryad 4, Russia. [NB: only letters in Russian are accepted, so you can send postcards or use google translate in case you do not speak Russian][correct as of: 28/10/18]Oleksandr Kolchenko was detained in Crimea on May 17, 2014, on suspicion of participation in a "terrorist group," which planned explosions near the eternal fire memorial and the Lenin monument in Simferopol on May 8th and 9th, and of having sabotaged railway tracks and electricity lines. Kolchenko is also suspected of having carried out two arson attacks: against the headquarters of the Russian Unity-party and Russian Community of Crimea on April 14th, and the office of the United Russia party in Simferopol on April 18th. He has since been transferred to Moscow and is being kept in the Lefortovo remand prison. The case is run by the FSB, the former KGB.
Aleksandr is an anarchist and antifascist who has participated in student and environmental actions. He has been part of campaigns against tuition fees and supported workers' rights protests. He was under constant Nazi attack for his antifascist ideas. One incident took place after a film screening about murdered anti-fascist journalist Anastasiya Baburova, where he was attacked by thirty Nazis using knives. In this context, claims by the Russian authorities that Aleksandr is part of the nationalist "Right Sector" are ridiculous, and he is denying these claims.
As lawyers of the accused are subject to a gag order, we have limited information on the charges and the level of cooperation from the suspect. We know that Aleksandr has admitted to being present at the location of the arsons, but he denies terrorist charges, which carry a 20-year maximum prison sentence. There is no reason to believe that he has implicated anyone else.
Oleksandr Kolchenko is claimed to be part of a bigger group protesting against the Russian invasion of Crimea by organising direct actions. A famous film director, Oleg Sentsov, as well as two Maydan activists, Gennadiy Afanasyev and Alexei Chirniy, have also been detained under the same suspicion. All of them are claimed to be part of the Right Sector (a Ukrainian ultra-right organisation). This is a lie as apart from Chirniy none of the accused have any connection to the Right sector, and Aleksandr Kolchenko has never shared nationalist ideas. The whole case is considered to be part of the Russian campaign to take over Crimea, which includes repressions against anyone who doesn't comply with the new authority.
Oleg Sentsov's arrest has gained worldwide attention, as recently, a number of known directors, including Pedro Almodovar, Mike Leigh, Agnieszka Holland, Stephen Daldry, Bela Tarr and Wim Wenders signed a petition demanding his release. [Updated: 20/11/14]

Ilya Eduardovich Romanov, [Romanov Ilya Eduardovich], 1967 g.r., 431130, Respublika Mordoviya, Zubovo-Polyanskii rajon, poselok Leplei, FKU IK-22, Russia. (letters only in Russian and do not contain statements about the political activities of anarchists) [correct as of: 28/10/18]
46-year-old anarchist Ilya Romanov was wounded in Nizhnii Novgorod following the blast of a pyrotechnic device (a firecracker) which severely injured his left hand and burned his face. Ilya was taken to hospital where doctors amputated his arm. He was arrested and charges under Article 205 through Article 30 of the Criminal Code of Russian Federation ("attempt a terrorist attack") despite a total lack of any evidence to support the terrorist angle.

Update: Ilya recently spent 14 days in the 'hole'. The prison administration has said that their superiors have ordered that everyone sentenced for 'terrorist' crimes must be put on 'special measures'. Ilya was not beaten up by guards, but there is a constant pressure in theform of administrative punishments.
Moscow ABC has hired a lawyer from a local village to help Ilya with this, as this was the cheapest alternative. [15/05/16]

See also:wiki.avtonom.org for up-to-date listings of prisoners in the ex-Soviet Union.

SPAIN

Altsasu Eight
The Altsasu group are eight Basque youths who faced charges of terrorism over a bar fight in which two off-duty Civil Guards and their girlfriends were injured. They were convicted of public disorder, but not terrorism, and sentenced to between two and 13 years in prison for the crimes of attacking agents of the authorities, injuries, public disorder and threats.
The court decided that the fight was down to "ideological reasons and antagonism towards the Civil Guard", and the judges imposed the maximum sentences possible for the charges. They included aggravating factors of abuse of superiority and hatred.
The court imposed sentences of 13 years in prison for Oihan Arnanaz and Iñaki Abad, 12 years for Jokin Unamuno and Adur Ramírez de Alza, nine years for Julen Goikoetxea and Aratz Urrizola and two for Ainara Urkijo. They also ruled compensation of €9,200 for the Civil Guard lieutenant involved, €3,750 for the sergeant and €6,100 each for their partners.

Straight Edge Madrid
Five comrades from a vegan and anarchist group from Madrid, Spain, called Straight Edge Madrid were arrested on November 4, 2015 in their families’ houses. One of them was not in the country but the police were looking for him too.
On Friday four of them were freed but had to pay €3.000, 4.000 and 10.000 in bail fees respectively, the other two, Borja Marquerie Echave and José Manuel Bustamante Vergara, were imprisoned without bail. They are accused of being part of a terrorist organisation and the police has taken away personal belongings such as hoodies, books and their computers. This is another move by a repressive state using excessive police force distracting from real political issues to sway the voters for the coming election.
The group they were part of (which has been forced to dissolve by police pressure) was anarchist, anti-speciesism and anti-drugs, they were organised and did a lot of activities to heighten people’s awareness of the state and its forms of repression.
Manuel and Borja are known to our Spanish comrades and they need our help. They are in separate prisons with FIES 3 regime which effectively means they have restricted communication and they are completely cut off from the outside.

UPDATE: Borja and Manuel have since been released on bail pending trial. [05/01/17]

Maddalena Calore, C.C. Uta, Strada II Ovest, 09010 Uta (Cagliari), Sardinia, Italy. [Correct as of: 17/03/17]
Anarchist comrade Maddalena 'Madda' Calore is back in prison following her arrest under a warrant from a previous case (she was released from prison in March 2013 following a previous period in prison). During the search of her home the police allegedly found 'compromising' evidence, namely a a toy air gun and 5 firecrackers, items that the italian press reported as "a pistol" and "5 sticks of dynamite capable of blowing up a car". [Updated: 25/03/17]

Operation Pandora
On Tuesday, December 16, at 5am, hundreds of cops broke into several houses, social centers, and ateneos in Barcelona, and also an apartment in Madrid. It was part of Operation Pandora, an anti-terrorist initiative carried out by the the highest level of the Spanish court system. Several houses were searched and eleven anarchist comrades were arrested. They did not know what charges they were accused of when they were arrested, just given a vague "anarchist terrorism" charge.

On Thursday, December 18, seven of them went to prison and the other four were released under surveillance. All of them are now accused of the participating in the GAC (Coordinated Anarchist Groups), a group of people who held some meetings and edited some books. Earlier in November, 2013, five people were arrested and two are still in prison. They are also accused of the participating in the GAC and also committing some direct actions against churches. [21/12/14]
[source]
For more info: What’s Behind Operation Pandora?

UPDATE: The 7 comrades arrested on December 16, 2014 as part of Operation Pandora who were released on conditional bail on January 30, 2015.

Following the opening of the investigative file, it is now known that they are facing charges such as membership in GAC (Coordinated Anarchist Groups), attacks against banks, posting parcel bombs (one to the Archbishop of Pamplona, one to a member of the fascist congregation Legionaries of Christ, and others to Italian companies), while "they are linked"—always according to the police—with the explosive attacks against the Cathedral of Almudena in Madrid (February 7, 2013) and the Basilica of the Pillar in Zaragoza (October 2, 2013), the latter having led to the indictment and pretrial detention of our comrades Mónica Caballero and Francisco Solar.

The police statement ends with a victorious "according to the investigators, the structure of the GAC/FAI-FRI is disrupted in Catalonia, the stronghold of this criminal organisation with terrorist purposes against the Spanish State". What these servants of Power do not recognise (and never will) is that they sought to generate fear to all other comrades with this operation, which not only failed, but we can say without a doubt has generated the opposite effect. [source]

Enrique Costoya Allegue - location currently unknown as mail to his previous CP Madrid V Soto del Real address has been returned. [Updated: 29/03/16]
On the morning of October 28, 2015, seven anarchist comrades were arrested in Barcelona and a further two in Manresa. Eight houses and social centers in the neighborhoods of Sant Andreu, Clot, Gràcia, and Sants were raided, including the Ateneu Llibertàri de Sants and La Revoltosa in Clot. As per usual, units from the Information Brigade stole materials, including electronic equipment, money, and propaganda.
This operation is a continuation of the repressive attack known as the Pandora Case, which was carried out in December of 2014 with the arrest of eleven comrades who are currently awaiting trial, and is related to Operation Piñata and Operation Columna, carried out by the Policia Nacional to repress comrades by claiming that they were members an organisation named GAC (Anarchist Coordinated Groups), which the State considers to be of terrorist nature.
Eight of those arrested were released on bail but Enrique Costoya Allegue remains in custody. [Updated: 03/11/15]

Madrid Five. Operación Piñata
On March 31st , during the second part of Operación Pandora, under the guise of Operación Piñata, there were many arrests in various Spanish cities: 9 in Madrid, 3 in Barcelona and 2 in Palencia. 14 others were arrested for resistance to authority. They were all released, except five who were accused of terrorism, sabotage and the placing incendiary devices as part of the Coordinated Anarchist Groups (GAC). They were put in preventive custody for two months, dispersed and then the Madrid Five, Paul Jara Zevallos, Javier Grijalbo Adán, Javier Garcia Castro, Jorge Linares Izquierdo and Enrique Balaguer Perez were released during the first week of June after being charged. [18/06/15]

Barcelona Five
On May 15, 2013 a major crackdown was launched by the Mossos D’Squadra [Catalan police] which was directed from the National Audience Court in Madrid [high prosecution panel], in which five anarchists were arrested in various parts of Catalonia for alleged membership of the Bandera Negra group (un grupo 'especialmente activo'). This is seen as a media-orientated coup to coincide with the second anniversary of the 15-M popular protests, a media lynching, where these libertarians still remain in pretrial custody.

The five comrades are currently dispersed in 5 different regional prisons under the FIES3 penitentiary regime. They are no longer in isolation, but the state continues with the other FIES restrictions they apply You can send letters to all of them at the following addresses listed below. Note that the communications are being monitored so we propose maximum prudence in the contents of the letters themselves. Details of the case and solidarity initiatives can be found on the support blog to the five of Barcelona.

Remember the account number solidarity for prisoners and their families:
Bankia account number (Spain): 2038 9252 63 3000365109

Mail for Silvia Muñoz Layunta, Juan José Garrido Marcos, Yolanda Fernández Fernández, Xabier González Solar and Jose Carlos Recio Minguez has recently been returned marked either 'unknown' or 'released' but we have no other current information on their status. We will amend when we have further news. [Updated: 11/06/15]

Basilica del Pillar Case
On November 13, 2013, the National Police raided the house of four anarchists in Barcelona, arresting the four comrades and another in the vicinity of her home the same morning. The five have been accused of having placed a device that exploded at the Basilica del Pillar in Zaragoza (Spain) on October 2. Arrested under the Anti-Terrorism Act against a backdrop of a media feeding frenzy, the 3 arrested Italian comrade Valeria Giamoni, Gerardo Damián Formoso and Rocío Yune, were released upon bail after remaining incommunicado for 5 days; their passports were retained and must appear in court on a periodic basis. The two Spanish comrades, Monica Caballero and Francisco Solar, were however remanded in "provisional custody" (i.e. pre-trial custody or remand) - charged with Illicit Terrorist Association, the placeing of Explosive Artefacts (specifically at the Church of Zaragoza) and Conspiracy to Commit Terrorist Acts (alleged plans to attack the Monastery of Montserrat in Barcelona) - by the National Court, for an unspecified period whilst the "investigations" take place.UPDATE [21/12/16]: On December 16, 2016, the Supreme Court announced that it had reduced the sentences of Francisco Solar and Mónica Caballero from 12 to 4.5 years, plus €143,317 compensation for damages caused by the explosion at the Basilica of the Pillar in Zaragoza in October 2013. [source]

Mónica Andrea Caballero Sepúlveda and Francisco Javier Solar Domínguez were freed from prison and deported back to Chile on March 9, 2017. [Correct as of: 12/03/17]

NB: The Claudicar Nunca Rendirse Jamas blog covers all the latest news around the Basilica del Pillar Case and other current acts of state repression in Italy.

The Cordoba Four
The Malaga court of appeal sentenced the anarchists Giovani Barcia, Michele Pontolillo and Claudio Lavaza, already sentenced to 11 years on September 1999, for an incident in the Italian vice-consulate in December 1996. Three persons wearing balaclavas imprisoned the consul and an employee, sending a message of solidarity to the Italian prisoners jailed by the Judge Marini (the judge who built a false accusation against Italian anarchists) and disappeared with passports and some money. These three Italians were convicted of this, as well as a previous bank robbery with sentences of 49 years for Claudio, 48 years for Giorgio and Giovani, 3 years for Michele. Write to them:

Claudio Lavazza has been transferred to France, where he will stand trial for an attack on a Bank of France branch. His new address can be found above.

Giorgio Rodriguez
Disappeared when out of prison on three days release Summer 2009.

TURKEY

Osman Evcan is an anarchist prisoner who spent his last 23 years in prison. In 1992 he was sentenced to 30 years in prison on charges of being a member of a leftist terrorist group and robbery. He was also imprisoned for 9 years between 1980-89. Osman adopted anarchist ideas in 2003, and has also become a vegan and supports animal liberation struggles.
Osman Evcan has been imprisoned in many different prisons all over the country during his conviction, fighting against authoritarian violence and especially the violence and oppression which is a systemic part of the prison’s hierarchical structure, and has continued his fight against prison’s oppressive mentality, without giving an inch, through a number of hunger strikes.
His first hunger strike in 2011, which lasted 42 days, was for vegan food to be available in prison. During that protest, anarchists and animal liberationists from all over the world, as well as in Turkey, supported Osman’s fight to access vegan food in prison. After 42 days on hunger strike the government gave in and made regulations for the vegan and vegetarian prisoners: "Vegan or vegetarian prisoners demands will be accepted as long as its limited by subsistence allowance."
After this victory, Osman continued the anarchist struggle from within the prison system. He has supported the LGBT, Animal Liberation, women rights and anti-imperialist struggles outside prison and has carried out 3-day hunger strikes to protest the animal massacre during each 'feast of sacrifice' every year. He has also written articles in support of a wide range of struggles and continues his political fight as much as he can from prison.

Markéta Všelichová and Miroslav Farkas were arrested on November 13, 2016 while attempting to cross the Habur border crossing from Turkey to Iraq. They were accused of participating in terrorist activity in Northern Syria and taken into custody. On the August 2 they were sentenced to 6 years and 3 months for belonging to the Kurdish defence forces YGP/YPJ (these non-state kurdish groups are fighting Daesh/ISIS, the turkish army which has been repressing Kurds for several decades, and the dictatorial regime of Bashar Al-Asad).

Markéta had been to Rojava twice, according to her own words she joined the defence forces and fell in love with the region and its specific cultural and political situation. This time she and Mirek were on their way to Rojava, where they planned to set up a field hospital for fighters and civilians, and eventually help with defence, as she says herself. Together they made a campaign before their big journey, during which they wanted to acquire the necessary material, while also not being afraid to make lectures about life, fighting and revolution in the region. These public activities also probably raised the interest of Turkish agents.

In an interview Markéta said she feels with people, who risk their life in the fight against evil, that she would like to help Rojava with anything it needs, and that she realizes that as a European she has greater possibilities how to get involved and help. A bit my own way, but with them, as she said. Often we read about how Mirek and Markéta are not terrorists but innocent victims. We completely understand and respect this reaction of their close friends and family, but we do not think it is a strategy that is helpful to us nor do we dare to claim that both people in prison would agree with it. We do not want to waste energy by endlessly repeating the statement that they are not terrorists. Not because we think the opposite but because from historical and personal experience we know that the term terrorist itself is an empty term which the the state uses to label anyone it considers its enemy. In the Czech Republic it is used to describe anarchists, in western Europe radical Islamists and in Turkey it is used to describe the people who fight them.

Markéta and Mirek chose to make a brave step and unfortunately fell into custody of the Turkish state, the biggest oppressor of the Kurdish people for many decades and who therefore sees both activists as its enemy. Now they are both in a Turkish prison. If you feel solidarity with them and want to support them then first of all do not hesitate and write them a letter to the following addresses. (Letters must be written in English, you will find what to write and what not to write in the section "How to write letters")[https://antifenix.noblogs.org/files/2015/06/dopisovani_veznum.pdf]